“Success is determined not by whether or not you face obstacles, but by your reaction to them. And if you look at these obstacles as a containing fence, they become your excuse for failure. If you look at them as a hurdle, each one strengthens you for the next.”

― Ben Carson

The above statement was made by Ben Carson, the first neurosurgeon to separate conjoined twins.

Ben Carson was born in Detroit, Michigan, on September 18, 1951. His mother, though undereducated herself, pushed her sons to read and to believe in themselves. Carson went from being a poor student to receiving honours and he eventually attended medical school. As a doctor, he became the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital at age 33, and became famous for his ground-breaking work separating conjoined twins.

Both Ben and his only brother, Curtis experienced difficulty in school. Ben fell to the bottom of his class, and became the object of ridicule by his classmates. Watching movies and imagining stories is what he loved doing. He developed a violent and uncontrollable temper, and was known to attack other children at the slightest provocation. The poverty he lived in and the difficult times he experienced in school seem to exacerbate the anger and rage.

His mother was determined to turn them around so she required them to read two library books a week and give her written reports, even though with her poor education, she could barely read them. She limited their TV time. After several weeks of his mother's unrelenting position, Carson began to find enjoyment in reading.

Ben began to learn how to use his imagination and found it more enjoyable than watching television. This attraction to reading soon led to a strong desire to learn more. Carson read books on all types of subjects and found connections between them. He saw himself as the central character of what he was reading, even if it was a technical book or an encyclopaedia. He read about people in laboratories, pouring chemicals into a beaker or flask, or discovering galaxies, or peering into a microscope.

He began to see himself differently, different from the other kids in his neighbourhood who only wanted to get out of school, get some nice clothes, and a nice car. He saw that he could become the scientist or physician he had dreamed about. Staying focused on this vision of his future helped him get through some of the more difficult times.

Ben Carson had a raging temper that translated into violent behaviour as a child.One time he tried to hit his mother with a hammer because she disagreed with his choice of clothes. Another time, he inflicted a major head injury on a classmate in a dispute over a locker. In a final incident, Ben nearly stabbed to death a friend after arguing over a choice of radio stations.

The only thing that prevented a tragic occurrence was the knife blade broke on the friend's belt buckle. Not knowing the extent of his friend's injury, Ben ran home and locked himself in the bathroom with a Bible. Terrified by his own actions, he started praying, asking God to help him find a way to deal with his temper. He found salvation in the book of Proverbs in a passage that went, "Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city."

You too can use that big challenge you have as a stepping stone to your "High Place". Ben Carson used his movie addiction as an advantage by converting it to Story books.

I will finish by saying "If any of you lack wisdom, understanding, patience, manner or anything he should ask God who gives abundantly"



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This is a reminder for me. Thanks